Soup's On

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Ferries, Flowers and Fixing

I can't help but think that Linda will recognize this location. A couple of hours drive took me to Bath, recently, to meet a friend for lunch. I opted to take "the scenic route" home and that included a very short ferry ride.

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I love ferries, getting out of the car and feeling the crisp breeze over the lake or river. I suppose it stems from ferry rides from Kingston to Wolfe Island (in my youth) as well as others encountered in travels. Like the Wolfe Island ferry, the Glenora one is a free trip.

Back home again, a few more crocuses had popped up in the garden.

A particularly welcome sight was the discovery of new peony shoots. Come June, there will be generous-sized, deep pink blossoms on this plant. I'm wondering how many, as this is my newest peony; it was planted from a piece of another one in the garden and has had a couple of years to get established in this spot.

In this photo, you can see a clematis swirling up the arbour and New Dawn roses dripping down from it. That was last June. This June will show a different story. Take note of the arbour shots on the right. Many of the slats, horizontal and vertical, were loose or had fallen off as a result of the rose canes winding themselves in among them. The rose has now been (severely) cut back, as well as the clematis wrapped up in it. I'm hoping they spring back to life, rejuvenated, and that I haven't harmed them.

Some new wooden slats have been cut and attached with a combination of nails and screws. I thought I'd been so clever in getting galvanized nails, so that they wouldn't rust. I'd nail a slat into place and then move to the next, just to have the previous one detach from the vibration of the hammering. Hence, the addition of screws. I wouldn't want a carpenter to look at my handiwork, but everything is in place now and waiting to be stained the same blue you see above. That will be sometime after the current rainy period. (I zipped out yesterday morning to put down grass seed and take advantage of the predicted soggy days.)

Spring is springing, if in a cooler and slower manner than usual. Nevertheless, hyacinths are blooming, tulip leaves are getting taller each day, and the grass is
now green. Inside and outside jobs are multiplying on the list. I'd better get to them.

25 comments:

Hi Karen, yes I recognized the Glenora ferry right away. We haven't been for our yearly ride on it yet. I love to get out of the vehicle and feel the breeze on my face, something I never tire of. Your peony shoots are lovely. Mine are up too and I'm hoping for more blooms than last year. I'm sure your roses will grow vigorously after being cut back. We were just talking of cutting ours right back at the beginning of the week and then the rain started. It is still coming down so all outside work has stopped for a few days.

Ferry rides are so lovely, especially in the summer, I think, when the water sparkles in the sun, before it's blurred by blowing winds, whisking waves to make effervescent seascapes!

Please promise me you'll post about those peonies that are peeking through the dirt. How I long to breathe their sweet and refreshing scent, which still penetrates my memory. Feeling sad that I'll have left, before their beautiful blooms arrive.

Spring is really here isn't it when the peonies are pushing up and crocuses are peeking out from brown leaves? Now the days become exciting, but so much rain - why can't it just rain at night!Don't worry about whacking the New Dawn and clematis back, I did the very same thing with the one out the back and it came back in no time. As a matter of fact, I think I best do it again this year.The only ferry rides in my memory are to Toronto Island and having a box of cracker jacks to eat on the way over. ;-)

I love being out on the water ! Wonderful photos . Oh spring has sprung for you to . The rains we have had the past day or so have really greened and thickened up the grass and all the buds on the trees and bushes are about to pop any day now and yes my Hyacinths are almost there to the Daffs and Tulips are a bit behind but doing well ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good week !

I enjoy ferry rides too. There are a few of them along the St. John River below Oromocto and they are free as they're part of the NB highway system. Your arbour with the clematis and rose was gorgeous last year and I'm sure they will spring back with their recent haircut. My clematis is a Jackmanii and I prune it back every fall. I need a new trellis for it too as the lattice is broken from me trying to pull the vines off it last fall. It needs painting too but I'm hoping hubby will build me a new one that is a lot taller. I would like to buy a peony this year as I've never had one before and they are so pretty.

Ferry rides are the usual way to get off this Island we live on. They are getting to be more and more expensive, though, so we don't go as often as we used to. I enjoy the time spent on the ferries, though - beautiful scenery. Our crossing is about 90 minutes.How lovely to see all the flowers coming up in your yard. The hyacinths are gorgeous and I'm sure they are equally fragrant.

The photo's of your garden are lovely and I'm sure everything will grow back just fine. I have Peony shoots and even the beginnings of some buds of flowers they do seem to get bigger and more showy every year although I do have one that will only ever produce one bloom and I have no idea why.

I recognised the Glenora ferry too - one of my favourite day trips when I visit Kingston. Like you, I have fond memories of taking the Wolf Island Ferry, and then another one, down near Treasure Island, to visit a boyfriend who lived on a smaller island. That ferry was run on cables. Bravo for managing that arbour repair!

Well done on fixing the arbour, Karen! I can just imagine the effect of the hammering dislodging the nailed in slat when you did the next one......that is so the kind of thing that happens to me! So how clever of you to solve it! I love that shade of blue, it looks so beautiful with the flowers growing through it......might just paint ours now!So glad spring has sprung there, and loved the ferry pictures......a lovely way to travel :)Helen xox

A ferry ride sounds wonderful and your garden is looking in beautiful form. It is expected to be 93 degrees on the beach for a second day in a row. I don't think I will get much done except some reading on the beach.

Beautiful pics Karen and how pretty is the clematis growing around your arbour with the roses....I just love the shade of blue! My 'to do' list is a very long one but all good things...xHappy Weekend!Susan x

My to do list is very long! The cold start to spring made it hard to get working in the garden and now I am hopelessly behind. I hope your clematis and rose recover. My arbor in the front garden is in similar need of repair. And there is the picket fence to paint this year as well. As I say, the list is long. Have a nice weekend!

Good Evening Karen, I remember the photograph of your roses and clematis from last year and I remember thinking that the flowers were beautiful. Cutting back roses and clematis will not do them any harm, as I have cut back quite a few this year as well.Peonies are such beautiful plants and it is lovely to see yours peeping through the soil.I have quite a list of things to do in the garden, but the rain is proving a problem as it has made the soil very "claggy" so I am hoping we will have a few dry days to allow me to get into the garden to do some weeding. Fingers crossed.Best WishesDaphne

Karen...wonderful photos, but the peony sprouts were screaming to me! I have an obsession lately with peonies so I anxiously await your photos of lovely, billowy pink blossoms that I can admire from afar! The arbor was lovely last year so hopefully your repairs and pruning will produce another spectacular display! Love the ferry, but haven't ridden one in several years...ummmm...adding to my "to do" list!

Hello dear KarenYour rose archway looks so pretty - what a dab hand you are with hammer and nails, and screws - well done!I would love to know the name of your Clematis - perfect with the lovely old fashioned roses.I'm ticking off my "to do" list too - but mines an Autumn tidy up list. Next month I will be pruning my rose bushes and so the year in the garden goes on.Lovely to catch up with you again Karen.